Computer Viruses. Legal and Policy Issues Facing Colleges and Universities.

Compiled by various members of the higher educational community together with risk managers, computer center managers, and computer industry experts, this report recommends establishing policies on an institutional level to protect colleges and universities from computer viruses and the accompanying liability. Various aspects of the topic are addressed, including: (1) what a computer virus is, how it is spread, how it can be detected, the kind of damage it can do, how viruses are created and launched, what makes colleges and universities especially at risk, and available technical protective measures; (2) the legal issues, including criminal statutes, tort liability (i.e., the university's liability for student conduct and its role as employer), contractual implications, and statutory duties related to privacy; and (3) specific priorities and options, such as establishing policies for student and faculty conduct, distribution of information about viruses throughout the campus, limiting access to college computers, establishing operational safeguards, creating an emergency action plan, and developing plans for responding to governmental inquiries. A review of contractual rights and obligations and suggestions for dealing with specific problems are included. (SD)